Sand box



Aug. 20, l 929.

W. J. ETHERINGTON SAND BOX Filed March 5; 1928 Patented Aug. 20, 1929.

UNITED STATES' WILLIAM J'. ETHERINGTON, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SAND BOX.

Application led March 5,

My invention relates to certain improvements in sand boxes for placing` sand on railway tracks, the invention being especially adapted for use on locomotives.

The object of my invention is to so construct a sand box that its valve will be in the form of a'tube, which can be turned to open or close the valve and regulate the amount of sand discharged from the box, and which can be readily removed from the box.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of my improved sand box;

Fig. 2 is an end View;

Fig. 3 is a plan view;

Fig. 1l is an enlarged sectional view show ing the method ot attaching the tubular valve to the plug, washer and disk; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view illustrating a modification of vthe invention.

In the drawing, 1 is a sand box made in the shape as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 in the present instance, the box being rectangular in cross section so as to tit in a given spaceo on a locomotive, but it will be understood that the box may be of any shape desired.

The box has an opening 2 at the 'top through which sand is introduced into the box, and at the bottom of the box is an opening 3 closed by a valve casing t which is secured to the box by bolts 5 or other suitable tastenings. This valve casing 4 has an extension 6 which projects through the bottom of the box and has a vertical bore extending therethrough, in the projection are passages 7 communicating with thebox and the bore of the casing and through which the sand escapes from the box when the valve is open.

S is a tubular valve Vpreferably of an even diameter throughout. This valve is located in the valve casing l and extends through the sand box, the upper end of the tubular valve inding its bearings in a projection 9 at the upper end of the box.

The tubular valve extends through a disk 10 resting on the projection 9 and is provided with a handle 12.

Located in the upper end of the tubular valve 8 is a plug 11, adapted to a squared opening in the handle 12.

The disk 10 and the plug 11 are secured to the tubular valve 8 by welding, indicated at X, Fig. 4, but the parts may be otherwise 1928. Serial NO. 259,199.

secured without departing from the essential features of my invention.

On the disk are two projections 13 and on the upper end of the sand box is a stop pin '14, so that the valve has a limited movement, insuring the complete closing of the valve or the full opening of the valve.

In the valve 8, opposite the opening 7, are passages 15 which communicate with the interior of the sand box when in the position shown in Fig. 1, so that sand will flow from the box in the lower portion of the valve, into the tubular valve.

In the lower portion of the valve is a passage 1G which communicates with a chamber 1'? in the valve casing, while leading 'from the chamber 17 is a pipe 18 which carries the sand to the point where it is distributed on the rail.

The lower end of the valve is closed by a plug 19, which is welded to the tubular valve in the same manner as the plug at the upper end of the valve, and in this plug is a cleanout opening 20 closed by a screw plug 21. y

A handle 22 may be mounted on the projecting portion of the plug 19 and may be secured thereto by a pin 28 the end of the plug 19 being square or otherwise shaped to fit the opening in the handle, which opening is similar in shape to that of the plug. By this means, the valve can be operated .from either the upper or lower end of the sand box.

By making the valve of' an even diameter throughout it can be readily removed from either end of the sandbox by detaching one of the handles.

In Fig. 5 I have illustrated a modilication, in which the tubular valve 8a is short, extending only to the upper end of the projection G of the valve casing 4, while the valve in this instance is operated only by a handle on the underside ot the valve casing.

It will be understood that the handles 12 and 22 may be connected by rods to any convenient point desired so that they may be operated from the cab of a locomotiva,

for instance, or from a motormans stand when used on electric, motor-driven, or other vehicles.

I claim:

1. The combination of a sand box, a valve easing mounted at the lower end of the boX and having a chamber therein, apipe eonnected to the chamber, an opening therein communicating with the interior of the sand box, a tubular valve extending through the sand box and through the valve easing and having passages therein which allow the sand to llow from the sand box into 'the chamber of the valve easing when the valve is in its open position, plugs secured to the ends ol. the tubular valve, a disk also secured. to oneend of the valve and having projections, a stop pin for limiting the inovenient of the valve, and means for turning the vaive either from above or below the sand box.

2. The combination of a sandbox; a valve casing located at the lower end ot the box havin` an extension projecting into the box and having a vertical bore extending therethrough and also havin g a lateral inlet opening coinlnunieating` With the interior of 'the sand boX and a discharge opening,l below the sand box, a tubular valve of an even diameter throughout extending` through the WILLIAM J. ETHERINGTON. 

